Finally...Those Maple Leaves

I have one last quilt to show you from the wonderful trunk show offered by Barbara Polston.

Finally...Those Maple Leaves
A traditional pattern with a "twist".

I love Barbara's use of graduated color throughout the leaves and continuing on in the border.
I especially liked the vibrant purple leaves in the lower right hand corner, a very non-traditional fall color.

One of the most important qualities that sets one quilters apart from all the others is their eye for color.
Barbara has mastered this skill, and it's one of the reasons I am so attracted to her quilts.

If Barbara's quilt looks familiar, there may be a reason.
Finally...Those Maple Leaves has won many awards including being chosen for the 2008 Art Engagement calendar published by American Quilters Society.
To learn more about Barbara and her quilts, you can visit her web site.

From Roses To Beatles

One of the impressive qualities of quilter Barbara Polston is her ability to create diverse selections in design.

Prairie Rose (1998) was one of her first original creations.
After receiving quite a bit of recognition, she felt encouraged to continue working on additional quilt projects.

She said the pattern in Prairie Rose reminded her of cross stitch.

Hand quilted by her mother Bernice Abbott.

One of the things I love to observe is how quilt designers branch out and move from one medium to the next.
We see personal evolution in the face of their quilts.
Notice the changes that have taken place in Barbara from 1998 through today.

Courage (2008) uses many techniques from hand painting to detailed machine quilting.

Barbara's quilts are often made for submission to various Quilt Challenges.

The Little Mermaid (2010) was the result of a Fairy Tale challenge.

Beatles
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
From the 1960's until today, we have always been big Beatles fans.
I wish I had gotten closer with my camera to take more detailed pictures of this delightful miniature.
Barbara used a 3-D effect, where each figure of the Fab 4 stood out from the quilt.
I'm guessing this is one of her latest designs because it is not listed on her web page.
For more details on Barbara's other quilts, you can visit her at Barbara Polston, Quilter by Avocation.

Barbara Polston Quilts

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, it was such a delight to have Barbara Polston come to our guild Nimble Thimbles and offer a trunk show.
Her award winning quilts are as delightful and fun as her personality.

If I had to pick a favorite from the quilts she brought, I would have to say it was
Birds Fly Over The Rainbow.
This definitely went to the top of my must-do list.
Barbara made this quilt for the book Trash To Treasure Pineapple Quilts by Gyleen Fitzgerald.
You know I'm all about making quilts from my scraps right now, and this quilt is a perfect stash buster.
I love the bright colors, and black background.

Mother Daughter Redwork was a combined effort.

The embroidered blocks were made by Barbara's mother, and Barbara did the piecing.

I can see why this quilt received all kinds of awards.


Afternoon Tea with GG and Grammy was also a combined effort with Barbara's mother who did the blue work, with Barbara completing the piecing.
My photo didn't capture the scalloped edges very well, which contribute such a nice effect for the over all look of the quilt.
Love the wonderful teapot designs that are carried through to the matching border fabric.

Another big award winner.

You can read more in depth details about Barbara's quilts over on her WEB SITE.
And tomorrow I will be showing a few more favorites from her trunk show.

I KNOW That Quilter!

Have you ever gone to a quilt exhibit and fallen in love with a certain quilt or style, but not been aware of the person behind the design?

You see their name by the quilt, but what really registers are the fabrics and pattern.

I remember last year I went to the AQG Show and was very taken with First Lorraine Went To Egypt by Barbara Polston.

See post March 18, 2011

Loved everything about that miniature quilt, from the Frank Lloyd Wright-ish design, clear down to the tiny paper pieced blocks.

Even the unique quilt title stayed in my mind.

Recently my guild announced we would be having a guest speaker:

Barbara Polston

I didn't connect the dots.

Star Where Beauty Lies

Barbara brought a wonderful trunk show, and first began showing some of her miniature quilts.

Barbara has quite the quilt resume.

To name of few of her accomplishments: She is the Editor of Quilting Quarterly, and is a writer/columnist by day.

She is also the founder of Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame, that celebrates quilt makers here in our lovely state.

She is also a very prolific, award winning quilter.

Sunshine and Shadows

Barbara has a bright, happy personality, and a way with words.

The evidence of a professional writer became apparent, as she had us laughing with story after story.

While showing a few of her quilts, Barbara listed some of the awards that she has been honored to receive.

Among the titles, she mentioned one for her quilt First Lorraine Went To Egypt.

A big light bulb went off in my brain!

Oh, you are THAT Barbara Polston!

I KNOW that quilter!

You are THAT Barbara Polston who won a first place ribbon for Vintage Roses

See post March 16, 2012.

As a newbie to Arizona, I'm a little slow in connecting the dots with names and faces, but I'll get there eventually.

I took a lot of pictures of Barbara's quilts during her trunk show, and will be showing you her beautiful work in the next few posts.

Triangles Square

Normally, the big reveal for the blocks with Blogger's Block of the Month falls on the 25th of each month.
But, if you live in Australia, your day starts 17 hours before my day starts in Arizona.
That means those of us in the United States get our block instructions a day early!
How nice!

April (block #8) Triangles Square has been designed by the wonderfully talented, and highly creative Amy of Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts.
I love everything Amy makes.

I pulled out my Kaffe basket, and made 2 blocks right away last night.
Because the layout of this quilt is still a mystery, and the blocks measure only 8" X 8", I decided a few months ago to start making 2 each month.

I love seeing how they turn out in different color ways.

And this particular block allowed me to do some fussy cutting for the centers with my Kaffes.

Jackie of Canton Village Works is the leader of this fun Quilt Along.
Everyone is invited to join at any time.
For more information, you can visit Jackie on her web site HERE.

Joan Bassett Trunk Show

For our April guild meeting we enjoyed a Trunk Show by Joan Bassett of Jay Bee Designs.

Joan's patterns have been published in many major quilt magazines, and she is now a new designer for Accuquilt.

Sonoran Symphony

Living in Arizona, many of Joan's designs have a Southwest influence.

Celebration

Most of her blocks are simple to make, and are in 2-3 color combinations.

Square Dancing

Square Dancing in another color way.

Southwest Flavor

Her Southwest designs can be made into wall hangings.

Seclusion

Serenade

Southwest Sampler

Bee Mania

Many of Joan's designs have a country theme.

A Bit of A Spring

Memories of Spring place mats and table runner.

If you are interested in ordering Joan's patterns, they can be found on her web site Quiltwoman.com

She offers several free blocks and with tutorials on her site, also.

Thank You Chookyblue!

Mr. Cactus is pretty techno-savy.

Right out of college he became a computer programer.

Soon after that he created his own software company and was on the cutting edge of new development.

He sold his companies several years ago, but I can still go to him for advice.

Last night he heard me sputtering away about the complete mess Blogger has made with their new interface.

He did a little research and read an article where Blogger wrote that using the old interface would no longer be an option.

Picture me: very sad/mad/ frustrated face.

And then this morning, I opened up an e-mail from fellow blogger Chookyblue!

She said that you CAN switch back to the old interface.

See the cog on the right hand side of your dashboard?

Click on it and it will bring a drop down menu.

On the list and it will give the option of returning to the old interface.

Yes!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Chookyblue!!

You are my hero!

Mr. Cactus is now wondering if Blogger caved and switched their minds about allowing the old format.

Do you think they actually read the comments left by me and many others about our frustration with their new system?

What ever their reason, picture me now: happy/ glad/ smiley face!

Let's just hope they leave well enough alone.

Blogger Mess

Blogger, Blogger, Blogger.
What are we going to do with you?
You have decided to revamp your entire interface, and make posting so complicated that I may jump ship in complete frustration.

All I want to do is show quilts from my guild's latest Show and Tell.

Now I can't seem to be able to even select the picture size, or center the text.

Your inadequate tutorial said to click on the picture to edit.

It worked on the first few pictures, but not the rest!

In fact, for the last few pictures your new program wouldn't let me insert any text at all.

You've switched me to this jumbled mess without my permission, and not given me the option to stay with the old program.
Are you trying to lose customers?